1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to diving and more particular to an inflatable diver marker and collection bag to be utilized by a diver for the collection of lobster, conch, etc., as well as providing for a diver location marker to boats and other water vehicles traveling in the vicinity of the diver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many divers carry a collection bag for game, treasure or even trash collecting. One conventional bag is a simple mesh construction having an opening at the top and provided with a conventional “flip-over” latch to keep the top closed. The collection bag is connected to the diver. However, as the diver successfully fills his bag the weight of the catch requires the diver to add air to his or her buoyancy compensator (“BC”) in order to offset the ballast created by the collected catch. This increase in air to the BC can create a dangerous situation by adding positive buoyancy to the diver's vest which can create an accelerated buoyant ascent if the ballasted collection bag becomes disconnected from the diver. This scenario may also arise given the fact that most divers remove the collection bag when adding additional material thus necessitating an easy to operate attachment mechanism.
Local, state and federal laws generally require at least one diver per group to carry or tow a dive flag attached to a line and reel for identification of diver location. This requirement presumably lessens the likelihood of a diver being struck by a passing boat, under the assumption that the boat operator will see the dive flag and stay clear of the area. One problem with conventional dive flags are that they are single dimension and can only be seen in certain directions. If a boater is traveling in the exact same or exact opposite direction as the wind, it is virtually impossible for the boater to see the flag and identify it as a diver down flag, until the boat is too close to the diver.
All divers in a group are typically meant to ascend under the flag buoy and utilize the line attached to the dive flag buoy as an ascent orientation guide. With multiple divers trying to ascend on a single line problems often occur. Furthermore, each diver individually towing a line is not a realistic option due to the likelihood of the lines becoming entangled with one another. Furthermore, towing of a dive flag and buoy is also uncomfortable and inhibits the diver's performance and collection abilities. As such, usually the diver who totes the line gets left out of any additional productive activities at depth. Accordingly, conventional dive flags do not afford adequate visual warning when the boat operator is traveling in the same direction as or directly opposed to the wind.
Thus what is needed is a combination inflatable dive marker and collection bag which will allow the marker to be visible from all directions and allow the diver to bring the collected catch to the surface without attachment to the diver. It is therefore to the effective resolutions of the shortcomings in the prior art that the present invention is directed.